Lasagna

Name: Lasagna
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 12 Lasagna sheets; 80 g Parmigiano; 150 g Mozzarella; 400 g Ground beef; 1 handful Onion, carrot, celery; 2 cloves Garlic; 1 can Whole tomatoes; 1 tbsp Tomato paste; 0.5 cup Red wine; Olive oil, salt, pepper; 3 tbsp Butter; 3 tbsp Flour; 2.5 cups Milk; Nutmeg & salt

Italy's baked layered pasta — sheets stacked with rich meat ragu, silky bechamel, and Parmigiano, then baked golden. A make-and-share casserole, perfect for a gathering.

Ingredients

6servings

Lasagna sheets · no-boil or pre-cooked12
Parmigiano · grated80 g
Mozzarella · shredded, optional150 g
Meat ragu
Ground beef · or beef + pork400 g
Onion, carrot, celery · finely diced (soffritto)1 handful
Garlic2 cloves
Whole tomatoes · 400g1 can
Tomato paste1 tbsp
Red wine · optional0.5 cup
Olive oil, salt, pepper · to taste
Bechamel
Butter3 tbsp
Flour3 tbsp
Milk · warm2.5 cups
Nutmeg & salt · a pinch

Steps

Ragu: saute the soffritto in olive oil, brown the meat, then add tomato paste, wine, and whole tomatoes and simmer 30-40 minutes on low. Season.
⏲ 40 min
Bechamel: cook the flour in the butter 1 minute, then whisk in the warm milk gradually until thick; finish with nutmeg and salt.
⏲ 5 min
Spread a thin layer of ragu in a baking dish, then layer sheets → ragu → bechamel → Parmigiano.
⏲ 8 min
Build 4-5 layers the same way; top the last with bechamel, mozzarella, and Parmigiano.
⏲ 2 min
Bake at 180C for 30-40 minutes until golden on top and bubbling at the edges. Cover with foil, then uncover at the end so it doesn't burn.
⏲ 35 min
Rest 10-15 minutes so it sets, then cut. Cutting straight away makes it collapse.
⏲ 15 min

Tips & Variations

Variations

Vegetarian: Roasted vegetables, spinach, and ricotta instead of meat.
Spinach-ricotta: Use ricotta and spinach layers instead of bechamel.
No-boil sheets: Easier — just be generous with the sauce.
Use leftover bolognese: Build it with ragu you already have.

Tips

Rich ragu, silky bechamel — the contrast of the two sauces is what makes lasagna.
No-boil sheets are convenient but go dry with too little sauce — spread it generously.
Start and end with sauce so the pasta doesn't dry out.
A 10-15 minute rest after baking is essential — cut too soon and it runs.
Bake covered with foil, then uncover for the last 10 minutes to brown the top.

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